Axle construction



Nov. 24, 1936 c. SAURER 2.061.985

AXLE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Jan. 7, 193 3 I (ittornegs Patented Nov. 24, 1936 PATENT orries axm CONSTRUCTION Curt Saurer, Akron, Ohio, 'assignor t o' The Firecorporation of Ohio stone Tire 8; Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a

Original application January I, 1933, Serial No.

650,694. Divided and this application June 19, r

1933, Serial No. 676,511

2 Claims. (Cl. 287-85) bracket arms is connected one end of a torque- This invention relates to axle constructions, and more especially it relates to driving axle constructions comprising torque-rods, and to improved torque-rod construction.

The invention is especially useful on heavy trucks such as are used 'in construction work where tilting of the axle to extreme angles frequently occurs. The invention is applicable to all types of worm and bevel-gear drives, and is 10 shown herein in'its application to a double worm driving unit of a six-wheel vehicle.

The chief objects of the invention are-to provide an improved axle construction which will not impose excessive strains on the torque-rods 15 upon tilting of the axle relative to the vehicle.

body; and to provide a torque-rod structure capable. of absorbing torsional strains upon its structure. More specifically the invention aims to provide an improved torque-rod adapted for universal movement with relation to the members .to which its respective ends are connected. A further object is to devise an improved joint structure capable of universal angular, orbital, radial or lateral and axial movement for absorb- 25 ing strains upon a torque-rod structure. This application is'a division of my copending application-Serial No. 650,694, filed January 7 1933.

Of the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of an axle embodying the invention in its preferred form;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a detail of one end of an improved torque-rod, a part thereof being in section; I

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the elements 35 included in the end-structure of the'torque-rod, before its assembly therewith; and

Figure 5 is another embodiment of the element shown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing I0, Ill are a pair of driving units or axles such as are used at the rear end of a six-wheel vehicle, H is va drive shaft for one of the axles, and I2 is an inter-axleconnection by means of whicnthe other axle is driven. A portion of the vehicle frame consiste 4 ing of a side-rail l3 and crossbeam i4 is shown.

' Below the crossbeam I4 is a cross-tube i5, Figure 2, that is connected to the frame by suitable brackets, such as the bracket I6, and said crosstube carries a spring bracket l1 upon which is mounted a spring structure l8 thatis connected.

. at its ends to the respective axles Ill. The axles lll carry brackets l8 adjacent their respective ends, and each of said brackets is formed with an upwardly extending arm and a downwardly extending arm. To-the free end of each of said arm 20, the other ends of the torque-rods that are connected'to the downwardly extending arms, on one side of the vehicle, being connected to the spring bracket l1, and the other ends of the torque-rods that are connected to ,the upwardly extending bracket arms being connected to a bracket 2| mountedupon'the side-rail l3, above' the spring bracket IT. The arrangement is such that the torque-rods of each pair that are connected to each bracket [8 are'substantially parallel to each other.

As is clearly shown in Figure 3, each end of each torque-rod 20 carries a terminal member 22 that is fixed in the rod as by threading it thereinto and securing it therein by a pin 23. The member 22 is formed with a bore 24 having its axis transverse to the axis of the rod, said terminal member constituting the socket portion of a ball and socket joint of which 25 is the ball element thereof. Said ball element 25 has the general shape of an ellipsoid, and has one of its ends flattened and its opposite end portion extended to form a spindle 26 which may be connectedto a bracket I! or 2| or to an arm of a bracket I9. 26 is threaded to receive a. retaining nut 21.

The ball member 25 is disposed co-axially with relation to the bore 24, the latter being shaped concentrically with relation to the balfmember 25 and spaced from it, the space between the bore and ball member being occupied by a cushion of compressed resilient material such as vulcanized rubber. Said rubber cushion is locally vulcanized to the ball 25 and engages the bore 24 with sufllcient friction to prevent movement relatively of said bore. The rubber cushion con- .sists of two separate pieces or rings 28, 28, that are vulcanized to the ball 25 concentrically of the long axis thereof, and are spaced from the respective ends of the ball, as is shown in Figure 4. Initially the rubber rings 28 are of larger outside diameter than the bore 24 so that they require to be forced into said bore. To facilitate the assembling of the ball and socket, the bore 24 at one end thereof is counterbored at '29 to receive an annular retainer or insert 30, the bottom of the counterbore bein'g beveled or tapered as at 3| so as not to provide obstruction to the leading ring 28 duringassembly. The inner peripheral face of the ring .30 is formed as a continuation of the bore 24. 4 In assembling the ball and socket joint the b elem'ent shown in Figure 4 is forced into the bore 24 of the socket member 22, spindle end fore- The end portion of the spindle and deformed axially of the ball 25'so as to cover about half the surface thereof. The retainer ring 30 is then forced over the other rubber ring 28 and into its seat in the couterbore 29, thus compressing and deforming the said rubber ring in the same manner as the first-mentioned ring. When the retainer ring 30 is fully seated. the outer marginal portion of the counterbore is -peened over the ring 30, as shown at 33, Figure 3, to hold said retaining ring permanently in place.

The construction is such that relative movement of the ball and socket members exerts a tension or increases compression of the rubber cushion 28, there being no relative movement of either member with relation to the surface of the cushion, The ball and socket construction on the respective ends-of torque-rods is especially efiicacious in that up and down movements and tilting movements of the axles are permitted and torsional movements restrained without imposing severe torsional strains upon the torquerods. Not only does the ball and socket construction permit substantially universal movement of the axles with relation to the torquerods, but the rubber cushion between the ball and socket members yieldingly resists said ..move-. ments,-thus supplementing the springs 18 to some extent in cushioning impacts due to uneven roadways. The presence of the rubber cushion also obviates the necessity of lubricating the torquerod connections, and, since the rubber is highly compressed, no dirt or grit can get into the joint between the cushion and ball or socket member.

The embodiment of the ball element of the ball and socket joint, shown in Figure 5, is similar to the embodiment hereinbetore described ex'- cept that there is no spindle formed thereon. Instead, the ball element 25a is formed with a .limited wholly to the through bore 35 at its long axis, in which bore-a spindle or bolt for connecting the element to another member may be mounted.

The invention-reduces upkeep of the axles, obviates the possibility of breakage of torque-rods due to normal operating strains, and achieves the other objects set out-in theforegoing, statement of-objects. g

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims, which are not specific construction shown and described.

1 What is claimed'is:

1. A torque-rod comprising a ball and socket joint at the end thereof, said joint including a pair of annular, spaced rubber cushionsvulcanized to the ball member and symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the equator thereof, said cushions normally being in deformed condition and 'spread axially in the assembledstructure, between the ball and socket elements, said socket element comprising a retaining ring that engages -a single cushion of the structure.

2. A connecting rod comprising a. pair of nested inner and outer joint members, the.outer surface of the inner member and the inner surface of the outer member being surfaces of ellipsoids, said surfaces being spaced apart, a pair of annular nular parts capable of being assembled axially toWard each other with each of said parts engaging a single cushion to place said cushions under compression.

' CU'RT SAURER. 

